Leftovers Fried Rice
When you look sadly into the fridge and find a selection of leftovers or foods you need to use, it is time to break out the basmati.
Comfort carbs are a winner on cold nights when you haven't been shopping and are stuck with leftovers or odds and ends. When going for carbs, keep them complex. Basmati is a whole grain and if you stick to the brown variety you are doing yourself favours in more ways. Rice is a great filler and soaks up surrounding flavours. Try our recipe for egg fried rice but get creative with anything suitable you have left at home. We add grated cheeses if there is any left, and a good crack of salt and pepper. Large onions thinly sliced, carrots diced or sweetcorn can also be used. Our recipe is for the staple base and you can add whatever is left in the fridge.
This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and cooking time varies until the rice is cooked through, so anything from 10 to 15 minutes.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 250g Basmati Rice
- 100g frozen peas
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 diced pepper
- 3 spring onions - including the green parts (diced)
- 2 large eggs
- 10ml toasted sesame oil
Method
- Cook the rice as per the instructions on the packet. For extra flavour add a vegetable stock cube to the water. Drain and set aside.
- Pop the peas in a bowl of boiling water for a couple of minutes as this is enough to defrost them. Drain then set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, and cook the chopped pepper for a few minutes until it begins to soften. If you are adding carrots or hard vegetables, cook them in with the rice, or pop them in the pan for 4 minutes before adding the pepper.
- Add the spring onions and cook for 1 more minute while slowly stirring.
- Add the cooked rice and peas to the pan and mix all the ingredients lightly together in the frying pan.
- Add the toasted sesame seed oil
- Crack the eggs straight into the rice mixture and get stirring. Make sure you coat the rice and other ingredients with the egg as fast as possible.
- Once it is all cooked through and well mixed, plate up and add a healthy grating of hard cheese.
- Enjoy.